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January 6 Committee: A Message from Chairman Thompson and Vice Chair Cheney

From the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol [1]:

“As the Select Committee winds down its operations, we write to again thank all those who have assisted us in achieving our mission. Dozens of our committed staff put aside other opportunities and served honorably in this effort. As the public can now see, this was an immense undertaking, accomplished over a relatively brief period. We overcame many hurdles, including efforts to conceal and obstruct our work and more than a dozen lawsuits. Many witnesses hid behind claims of privilege, including Donald Trump himself, who initially blustered that he would be willing to testify but then sued so he could avoid actually facing our questions.

“Of course, our Committee’s work was a first step: It was our obligation to expose the truth, and to recommend legislative action. We have now done both, and Congress has already acted on one key recommendation. But accountability is now critical to thwart any other future scheme to overturn an election. We have made a series of criminal referrals, and our system of Justice is responsible for what comes next. Others have a critical role to play as well, including state bars and others who oversee the lawyers involved in the plots we exposed.

“Over the past several weeks, the Committee has made an enormous volume of material available to the Special Counsel. We have posted the vast majority of our transcripts on our website [2], and asked agencies concerned about special security issues to review those transcripts that have not been public.  Consistent with House Rules, an enormous volume of material has been provided to the National Archives. The Select Committee has also decided to make public a sizable trove of material, much of which is already available online [3].

“In the days after January 6th, nearly all members of Congress knew what had happened was profoundly wrong.  The Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy said so publicly, indicating that President Trump “bears responsibility,” and privately telling his colleagues that he would recommend that Trump resign from office. But just weeks later, the defense of the indefensible began.

“Our Committee has done what was necessary at this moment in our Nation’s history. It was our duty. Preservation of our great Nation is far more important than any other consideration. It is ultimately the reason we take an oath to serve our Nation: to do what is right, regardless of the consequences for ourselves or our politics.

“We trust that history will continue to illuminate more details of January 6th and its aftermath. We’re grateful to the heroic law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line that day to repel an attack on our democracy. And finally, to all those brave and earnest witnesses who decided to tell the truth: We thank you, and your Nation thanks you.”

BENNIE G. THOMPSON                        LIZ CHENEY
Chairman                                                   Vice Chair